A plan to use. imported mollusk-eating black carp from Asia to help
solve North America's zebra mussel crisis is risky and lacks
scientific basis, according to Ohio State University researchers.
"Our experiments with exotic species have usually been failures. If
black carp are introduced, we could be opening the ecosystem up to a
whole host of risks," warns associate professor of zoology David A.
Culver, who has been conducting research on zebra mussels since 1988.
"Furthermore, we don't even know for sure that black carp will
eat zebra mussels in a foreign environment."

Four fish farms in the southern U.S. have imported black carp from
China and Taiwan and two have spawned the fish artificially. Next, the
farms' aquaculturists will attempt to produce specially engineered,
sterile young. Once these sterile fish are mature, the aquaculturists
hope to sell them to utility companies and cities for use in zebra
mussel-infested industrial and public drinking water systems. Ideally,
the black carp will feast on the pesky bivalves.

There are many potential problems with this plan, Culver maintains.
Perhaps the most compelling argument is past experience. Time and again,
scientists have seen that, once an invader inhabits a new environment,
its behavior is virtually impossible to predict. "We know that
black carp in China have been cultured on small snails, not bivalves.
There's no definite expectation that, in a new environment, black
carp would swim around and, not finding their favorite snails, eat zebra
mussels instead. They may just sit there and starve to death. Or they
may start eating something else we don't want them to eat, such as
native snails. These are issues that really need to be raised."

Also, the imported adult black carp bring with them all the
parasites they encountered in China. When the ponds housing these fish
are drained, these parasites could be introduced into U.S. waters, where
native animals would have no resistance against them.

Moreover, black carp feed only in relatively warm water. This makes
them unlikely predators for zebra mussels, which dwell in the cooler
bottom waters,

COPYRIGHT 1993 Society for the Advancement of Education
No portion of this article can be reproduced without the express written permission from the copyright holder.